Coffee History

The coffee plant is indigenous to Abyssinia, Ethiopia and probably Arabia.  The first documented mention of the coffee plants is by an Arabian physician near the end of the ninth century of the Christian era.

It is believed that when the Abyssinians came out of Arabia into Ethiopia, it's possible they brought the coffee tree with them; however, the Arabians are the first to discover and promote it's use as a beverage and for the propagation of the plant, even if they found it in Abyssinia and brought it to Yemen.

Some historians  believe that the first cultivation of coffee dates back to AD 575 in Yemen.

The Arabians realized they had a lucrative product and for a period of time, they were able to prevent its spread to other countries by not allowing any of the berries to leave the country without first being steeped in boiling water, or parched as to destroy their ability to germinate.

But with thousands of pilgrims journeying to and from Mecca each year, it was not possible to watch every possible transporter.  In the 1600's coffee was introduced into southern India by a Moslem pilgrim.  But it was not until 1840 that the English began the coffee cultivation in India.